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In this month of November, we are surrounded with reminders of thankfulness and gratitude for what we have.

The art of being grateful is a tricky one sometimes, especially in a time in our lives where things have been turned upside down and sideways for many reasons.

Everyone’s life looks different from what it once was and yet, finding the small, simple things to be grateful for is now more important than ever.

Finding more balance and comfort within ourselves will allow us to appreciate others and have gratitude for our journey.  

What does this have to do with thankfulness and gratitude? Being more connected within allows us to show ourselves gratitude in mind, body, and spirit. When you practice creating inner balance, then you can go into the community and support your partner, family, friends, and neighbors in amazing ways.

There are so many ways to show our gratitude to others that support and love us.

Many of the simplest things we do from the heart are the...

There are so many reasons that we, as humans who are a part of a family unit, might bottle up our emotions.

But I am here to tell you that it is one of THE most unhealthy things you can do. PERIOD.

From a young age, many of us have been taught that it is either okay or not okay to say things that others don't like. Sometimes it might be unkind or inappropriate to share certain feelings e.g. negative or hurtful things even if we feel them. 

While this is true, it can also be true that this will damage the person who keeps their emotions to themselves and create an inner turmoil within them.

Over time, lack of expression will erode that persons’ inner happiness. It creates a dark feeling of not being heard or loved. This is where depression, anger, and frustration dwell. It is a path that many people go down and it is unhealthy for us.

Having emotional expression, feeling heard, being accepted by our family/friends, and being loved unconditionally is essential for all...

All of my life I have always known I want to be a doctor.

Very early on I learned that our bodies can heal themselves in amazing ways given the right nutrition and herbs.

With the power of Chinese Medicine, we can learn to listen to our bodies and eat healthier.

For myself this is one of my earliest memories, but what really made me interested in Chinese medicine was the fact that both of my grandmothers were very ill. I took them to both their acupuncture and doctors appointments, and saw how both the practitioners worked with them. Seeing how the acupuncturist communicated and shared their progress with them, I understood that it was a different relationship than a western physician.

Mind you, I am very passionate about all medicine and have always used western medicine when needed. But the shift in my family who saw acupuncturists was fascinating because they were being encouraged to take ownership of their progress and improvements, whereas with doctors it was, “here is...

Many of my clients come to me because they are working with assisted reproductive endocrinologists and they have been told with studies and research time and time again that acupuncture can benefit them greatly.

Some of the benefits include: increased blood flow to the uterus, help reduce the cramps and pain, help calm the emotions you might be going through, assist in de stressing during hard periods of time.   

The treatment received during an artificial insemination, intrauterine insemination, or IVF can create a lot of stress on the body. These procedures are needed in order to conceive a child, but the actual instrumentation that is placed inside your body, the test, as well as the added medication, and added hormones make it very challenging for your body to reach a calm balanced state. These are some of the reasons I find acupuncture so effective during this time period. 

We can use acupuncture during all parts of your cycle, regardless of whether you have...

Exercise is so very important to our health.

It is recommended you do 30 to 45 minutes per day of physical activity or at least 5 days a week. It supports cardiovascular health, releases happy chemicals, and keeps our mental health in check too.

Another added benefit of movement whether aerobic, yoga, or meditation movement practices like qi gong teach our bodies how to move our own energy.

Much like we do with Acupuncture our bodies can create that same movement internally with mindful movement. 

What exactly does this mean?

If we keep our bodies strong and keep our blood moving, the energy that keeps us healthy will follow our blood flow. The more we exercise in aerobic and meditation type activities like yoga, qi gong, or tai qi the easier our energy flow will be…thus we will not experience pain, blockage of digestive function, or breathing issues.

Both practices are essential because of the shift in breath with mindful movement we learn to create a space for our...

Many people think that elimination is simply bowel movements and urination, but in Chinese medicine it is important to look at a person's sweat and respiration too when looking at elimination.

Looking at the whole picture,  gives us a better idea of what's happening with your body and your circadian rhythm.

Your ability to regulate your temperature and your body's efficiency in passing stool, urine, and sweat are all important in telling us how your body is functioning internally, what areas may be stuck or stagnation. Another common pattern is that an organ is working extra hard and needs support.

This allows us to look at different situations and how efficient your body is at eliminating waste. It also allows us to figure out which systems are balancing, cooling, and strengthening.

Supporting our elimination of waste is important for many reasons.

It helps improve our immunity, strengthens digestion, and supports mental function - brain clarity. It also allows us to be...

When we look at the natural order of our world and the old ways of our forbearers, keep in mind the changes of season.

Keeping in tune with nature is a easy and free way to create more balance within ourselves and can benefit you more than you know.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), we look at the cycle of the organ systems which have specific times of day and determine our nature. It is also helpful to look at the time of acupuncture treatment to further balance specific parts of the body. Allowing more effective point prescriptions to be used makes a difference in some types of acupuncture e.g. 5 Elements.

For instance, we’ll look at an example at the Chinese clock of organs. We can see that someone who always wakes between 1 am and 3 am has an imbalance of the Liver/Gall Bladder system and may need to express their feelings verbally vs. holding them in and ignoring them. Whereas someone who gets a “second wind” at midnight is the Gall Bladder and you may...

Digestion is the cornerstone of all traditional Chinese medicine.

We often say that if you have any complications in your body, first begin with digestion. If things are not moving through the gut with ease, then everything will be affected. 

If there are big emotions, then the liver will often disrupt the bowels first by shifting the frequency, consistency, and comfort of the individual. Some people are blessed with good digestive function, but most of us suffer with stress, travel, or changes in schedule.

Hydration plays a huge role in our digestive system.

We are always told to stay hydrated, and if we are thirsty then we are already dehydrated. This is true. Try and stay ahead of water consumption by setting reminders to get your water in.

We recommend room temperature water to support the best digestive function. It is always important to keep hydrated. You’ll know you are getting enough water if your urination lightens in color throughout the day.

If you have...

2020 was a year full of so much uncertainty. In 2021, there are now so many things we can control. Creating healing within our bodies is a perfect place to start.

The pandemic is now shifting with so many of us vaccinated and starting to venture out into the world again. With that, I wanted to share some great tips to keep you and yours healthy as we begin to go into summer mode this year.

Creating healthy, impactful routines can really support us on so many levels and help us tremendously during this time.

One - Sleep Hygiene

Creating healthier nightly routines help to support melatonin production. Try changing the time filters on your phone, having a wind down plan that completely excludes your phone, and connecting with your breath before sleep. Make your room a comfortable temperature, set a plan, and try to go to sleep and wake up approximately at the same time every time. 

Two - Meditation or Stress Reduction

When was the last time you focused on just your breath? Do you...

Spring is here. This time of year it is so important to keep ourselves strong and healthy while we are dealing with allergies. Since we are still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that we keep germs down in our environments.

So today we will be talking about ways to do that with natural essential oils and other pet and child friendly cleaners.

One of my favorite things to do is to add essential oils to my mopping water in addition to an organic floor cleaner to add an extra layer of germ fighting power. Right now, I often use a drop or two of Thieves oil to support immunity and kill germs in the air. And on the plus side, it smells like Christmas time so that's always a win in my book.

If you enjoy cloves, cinnamon, and orange, you should get a bottle of either doTERRA On Guard or Thieves oil from Young Living. This is also a fantastic product to add to a spray bottle and sanitize the air in your home, car, or workspace.

We have also started using...